Misplaced Pages

#73926

31-691: The Gros Mécatina Bird Sanctuary is in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence offshore from the Cap du Gros Mecatina, the communities of Mutton Bay and La Tabatière , and the Baie des Ha! Ha!. The protected area includes four islands and a reef – the Île Plate, Île aux Trois Collines, the two Îles aux Marmettes and the Rochers aux Marmettes. The coastal waters within 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of the islands and reef are also protected, covering an area of 2,168 hectares (5,360 acres) in total. Part of

62-570: A European in its waters was by the French explorer Jacques Cartier in the year 1534 . Cartier named the shores of the St. Lawrence River "The Country of Canadas", after an indigenous word meaning "village" or "settlement", thus naming the world's second largest country. Basque whalers from Saint-Jean-de-Luz sailed into the Gulf of St. Lawrence in 1530 and began whaling at Red Bay . They established their base on

93-550: A multitude of facets of the great river in all seasons. In winter, the St. Lawrence River is an immense ice factory. The machine starts up in December with the formation of ice cubes between Montreal and Quebec City . The prevailing winds and currents push this ice towards the estuary, it reaches the east of Les Méchins at the end of December. Ice covers the entire gulf in January and February. Ice helps navigation because it prevents

124-648: A vast, rocky plateau with a history of glaciation — the peninsula has a large number of lakes. The province of Quebec alone has more than half a million lakes of varying size. The largest body of water on the Labrador Peninsula is the Smallwood Reservoir , but the largest natural lake is Lake Mistassini . Other lakes of note include the Manicouagan Reservoir , the Caniapiscau Reservoir , and

155-539: Is a large peninsula in eastern Canada . It is bounded by Hudson Bay to the west, the Hudson Strait to the north, the Labrador Sea to the east, Strait of Belle Isle and the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the southeast. The peninsula includes the region of Labrador , which is part of the province of Newfoundland and Labrador , and the regions of Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean , Côte-Nord , and Nord-du-Québec , which are in

186-469: Is about 290 m (950 ft) deep and about 1,250 km (780 mi) long from the Continental Shelf to the mouth of the St. Lawrence River . Deep waters with temperatures between 2 and 6.5 °C (36 and 44 °F) enter the Gulf at the continental slope and are slowly advected up the channel by estuariane circulation. Over the 20th century, the bottom waters of the end of the channel (i.e. in

217-461: Is also the highest point of mainland Canada east of Alberta . The mountains also host Torngat Mountains National Park , the only national park of Canada on the Labrador Peninsula. The park is located in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, whereas the adjacent Kuururjuaq National Park is located in the province of Quebec. Due to it being covered almost entirely by the Canadian Shield —

248-647: Is bounded on the north by the Labrador Peninsula and Quebec , to the east by Saint-Pierre and Newfoundland , to the south by the Nova Scotia peninsula and Cape Breton Island , and to the west by the Gaspé Peninsula , New Brunswick , and Quebec. As for significant islands the Gulf of St. Lawrence contains Anticosti Island , Prince Edward Island , Îles-de-la-Madeleine archipelago , Cape Breton Island , Saint Pierre Island , and Miquelon-Langlade . Half of

279-514: Is established as follows: The five provinces bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence have several provincial parks with protected coasts. Download coordinates as: The Laurentian Channel is a feature of the floor of the Gulf that was formed during previous ice ages , when the Continental Shelf was eroded by the St. Lawrence River during the periods when the sea level plunged. The Laurentian Channel

310-723: Is to protect the nesting sites of seabirds. It is fully protected and access is forbidden. It is owned by the Federal Ministry of Natural Resources and Wildlife and is subject to the Migratory Birds Convention Act , the Canada Wildlife Act and the Regulations on migratory bird sanctuaries. At one time the site was used for nesting by thousands of common murre ( Uria aalge ), but due to egg collecting and illegal hunting by 2010 there were only 12 of these birds in

341-615: The Eastmain River , Rupert River , and Churchill River . Prior to European colonization, the peninsula was inhabited chiefly by Cree people, notably the Innu Nation in the southeast area of the peninsula, who referred to their country as Nitassinan (ᓂᑕᔅᓯᓇᓐ), meaning "our land" in the Innu language . Other peoples on the peninsula include the East Cree of Eeyou Istchee (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ/ᐄᔨᔫ/ᐄᓅ ᐊᔅᒌ) ,

SECTION 10

#1732876766074

372-508: The La Grande 2 and La Grande 3 reservoirs. Due to a history of hydroelectric development, the majority of the larger freshwater lakes on the peninsula are reservoirs. In addition to an abundance of lakes, the peninsula also has many rivers. The longest, the La Grande River, is 900 kilometres (560 mi) long and flows westwards across nearly half the peninsula. Other rivers of note include

403-724: The Migratory Birds Convention Act on Bonaventure Island , on the Bird Rocks of the Magdalen Islands , and on the Percé Rock . These migratory bird sanctuaries are administered by the Canadian Wildlife Service . The Federal Government of Canada manages 37 National Parks of Canada , overview of the parks touching the Gulf of St. Lawrence: Mingan Archipelago National Park Reserve , in Côte-Nord , Forillon National Park on

434-662: The Naskapi whose territories are called St'aschinuw (ᒋᑦ ᐊᔅᒋᓄᐤ, also meaning "our land") as well as the Inuit of Nunavik , Nunatsiavut and NunatuKavut . The area became known as Markland in Greenlandic Norse and its inhabitants were known as the Skræling . It is widely accepted that the peninsula is named after Portuguese explorer João Fernandes Lavrador . He was granted a patent by King Manuel I of Portugal in 1499 that gave him

465-549: The Strait of Belle Isle and worked closely with the Iroquois in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In 1579 the English government closed all English ports to Spanish oil imports. As a result, a third of Basque whale oil could not be sold. Basque whaling collapsed in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and never recovered. Labrador Peninsula The Labrador Peninsula or Quebec-Labrador Peninsula ,

496-659: The Atlantic Ocean, the waters of the Gulf take the following straits : Since its appearance on maps, there has been no consensus on the demarcation of the St Lawrence River from the Gulf, nor whether it is hydrographically a gulf or an estuary . According to Fisheries and Oceans Canada 2023, the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence planning area covers most of the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence bioregion, an area with some of

527-674: The Federal Bureau of Statistics gives detailed annual statistics for the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 Ports of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, on the Côte-Nord Shore: Blanc-Sablon , Harrington Harbor , Natashquan , Havre-Saint-Pierre , Mingan , Port-Menier (Anticosti Island), Cap-aux-Meules (Îles-de-la -Madeleine). The gulf has provided a historically important marine fishery for various First Nations that have lived on its shores for millennia and used its waters for transportation. The first documented voyage by

558-529: The Gulf include the Chaleur Bay , Fortune Bay , Miramichi Bay , St. George's Bay , Bay St. George , Bay of Islands , and Northumberland Strait . According to Commission of Toponymy Quebec, the St. Lawrence River becomes the gulf at Pointe des Monts on the Côte-Nord and Matane Bas-Saint-Laurent or Sainte-Anne-des-Monts La Haute-Gaspésie , the Estuary is upstream, the Gulf of St. Lawrence, much wider, downstream. Large marine mammals travel in all

589-597: The St. Lawrence estuary) have become hypoxic . Almost all of Quebec's ports are located along the St. Lawrence River seaway, from its source to its gulf, to the Atlantic Ocean . There are dozens and dozens of shelters, harbors, natural ports , large and small along the gulf up to the source of the St. Lawrence River, we can add village or individual wharf , without forgetting the large international maritime transport ports . In its annual report on maritime traffic in Canada,

620-459: The Ungava Peninsula, Cape Wolstenholme , also serves as the northernmost point of the Labrador Peninsula and of the province of Quebec. The peninsula is a plateau threaded by river valleys. There are several mountain ranges. The Torngat Mountains , located in the northern part of the peninsula, contain the highest point of the peninsula, Mount Caubvick , which at 1,652 metres (5,420 ft)

651-437: The eastern tip of the Gaspé Peninsula , Prince Edward Island National Park on the northern shore of the island, Kouchibouguac National Park on the northeastern coast of New Brunswick , Cape Breton Highlands National Park on the northern tip of Cape Breton Island , Gros Morne National Park on the west coast of Newfoundland . In Quebec, since March 31, 2024, the network of protected areas extends over 274,431 km2 and

SECTION 20

#1732876766074

682-506: The formation of waves and therefore spray, ice has the advantage of preventing the icing process of ships. At Baie-Trinité, the Pointe-des-Monts Lighthouse , a National historic site of Canada , was built in 1829-1830 on a point that ancient geographers, since Samuel de Champlain (1567-1655) himself, classified as the demarcation point between the St. Lawrence River and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Gulf of St. Lawrence

713-474: The province of Quebec . It has an area of 1,400,000 km (541,000 sq mi). The peninsula is surrounded by sea on all sides, except for the southwest where it widens into the general continental mainland. The northwestern part of the Labrador Peninsula is shaped as a lesser peninsula, the Ungava Peninsula , surrounded by Hudson Bay, the Hudson Strait , and Ungava Bay . The northernmost point of

744-716: The right to explore that part of the Atlantic Ocean as set out in the Treaty of Tordesillas . Together with Pero de Barcelos , he first sighted Labrador in 1498, and charted the coasts of southwestern Greenland and of adjacent the northeastern North America around 1498 and gave notice of them in Portugal and Europe. His landowner status allowed him to use the title lavrador , Portuguese for "farmer" or "landholder", but "labrador" in Spanish and Galician means "agricultural worker" ( Portuguese pronunciation: [lɐvɾɐˈðoɾ] ). He actually gave

775-579: The sanctuary. Terns are sometimes the most common birds in the sanctuary, with 1,800 counted in 2005. Other birds that form colonies on the islands include Atlantic puffin ( Fratercula arctica ), black guillemot ( Cepphus grylle ), razorbill ( Alca torda ), American herring gull ( Larus smithsonianus ), great black-backed gull ( Larus marinus ), black-legged kittiwake ( Rissa tridactyla ), great cormorant ( Phalacrocorax carbo ) and double-crested cormorant ( Phalacrocorax auritus ). Gulf of Saint Lawrence The Gulf of St. Lawrence fringes

806-1713: The seas of the earth, the research and observations of these giants concern fishermen and shipping industry , exercise a fascination and a keen interest for laymen and, subjects of endless studies for scientists from Quebec, Canada and around the world. Thirteen species of cetaceans frequent the waters of the estuary and the gulf of the St. Lawrence River. 1. Hyperoodon ampullatus . — Hypéroodon boreal, Hypéroodon arctique. — (Northern Bottlenose Whale). 2. Delphinapterus leucas . — Béluga, Bélouga, Baleine blanche, Dauphin blanc, Marsouin blanc. — (Beluga Whale). 3. Physeter macrocephalus . — Grand cachalot, Cachalot, Cachalot macrocéphale. — (Sperm whale). 4. Lagenorhynchus acutus . — Lagénorhynque à flancs blancs, Dauphin à flancs blancs. — (Atlantic white-sided dolphin). 5. Lagenorhynchus albirostris . — Dauphin à nez blanc, Dauphin à bec blanc, Lagénorhynque à bec blanc. — (White-beaked dolphin). 6. Orcinus orca . — Orque, Épaulard. — (Killer Whale). 7. Globicephala melas . — Globicéphale commun, Globicéphale noir, Dauphin pilote. — (Long-Finned Pilot Whale). 8. Phocoena Phocoena . — Marsouin commun, Cochon de mer, Dieu des mers. — (Harbour Porpoise). 9. Eubalaena glacialis . — Baleine franche de l'Atlantique nord, Baleine noire de l'Atlantique nord, Baleine de Biscaye. — (North Atlantic Right Whale). 10. Balaenoptera acutorostrata . — Petit rorqual. — (Minke whale). 11. Balaenoptera musculus . — Baleine bleue, Rorqual bleu. — (Blue whale). 12. Megaptera novaeangliae . — Rorqual à bosse, Baleine à bosse. — (Humpback whale). 13. Balaenoptera physalus . — Rorqual commun. — (Fin whale). Around Anticosti Island and to flow into

837-658: The shores of the provinces of Quebec , New Brunswick , Nova Scotia , Prince Edward Island , Newfoundland and Labrador , in Canada , plus the islands Saint-Pierre and Miquelon , possessions of France , in North America . The Gulf of St. Lawrence connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River . The secrets of the Saint-Laurent , marine weather guide 2013, of 100 pages, provides information on

868-687: The signing of the Canada–Quebec Collaborative Agreement to Establish a Network of Marine Protected Areas in Quebec in March 2018. St. Paul Island in Nova Scotia off the northeastern tip of Cape Breton Island, is known as the "Graveyard of the Gulf" because of its many shipwrecks . Access to this island is controlled by the Canadian Coast Guard . In 1919 the first Migratory Bird Sanctuaries (MBS) in Canada were established under

899-518: The ten provinces of Canada adjoin the Gulf: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador , and Quebec. Besides the St. Lawrence River itself, significant streams emptying into the Gulf of St. Lawrence include the Miramichi River , Natashquan River , Romaine River , Restigouche River , Margaree River , Humber River , Mingan River and others. Branches of

930-610: The terrain is bare rock, and part is covered in flora such as cranberry ( Vaccinium oxycoccos ), cloudberry ( Rubus chamaemorus ), mosses and lichens. The tidal zones of the Gros Mécatina River and the Véco River are outside the jurisdiction of the Municipality of Gros-Mécatina and are managed by the bird sanctuary. The sanctuary was designated a Migratory Bird Sanctuary with IUCN Management Category "Ia" in 1996. The purpose

961-654: The warmest surface waters in Atlantic Canada during summer and the largest amount of sea ice during winter. The planning area is approximately 240,000 km². According to Encyclopedia Britannica , the name of Gulf St. Lawrence in a hydrologic context is not accurate, a gulf has to be considered more as a sea bordering the North American continent than as simply a river mouth . The International Hydrographic Organization 1953 defines it as follows: Western Honguedo Strait Coral Conservation Area , create following

Gros-Mécatina Migratory Bird Sanctuary - Misplaced Pages Continue

#73926